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Thaipusam Kavadī - A Festival Helping Hindus in Mauritius Cope with Fear
[journal article]
Abstract With Hindus in Mauritius as a case study, this article will show how Thaipusam Kavadī, a festival of piercing and procession of ancient Tamil origin, has become not only a modern expression of religious affiliation in diaspora, but also a way of coping with fear by trying to gain dispensation for po... view more
With Hindus in Mauritius as a case study, this article will show how Thaipusam Kavadī, a festival of piercing and procession of ancient Tamil origin, has become not only a modern expression of religious affiliation in diaspora, but also a way of coping with fear by trying to gain dispensation for possible religious or ethical misconduct in a time and a place where religion has become compartmentalised. To understand this development, the article gives a short introduction to the overall theme of fear, including theoretical considerations as a prism to understand the factors at play. This is followed by an introduction to Hinduism in Mauritius from a general point of view. Then, using a particular case study and participant observations as a point of departure, the article will explore how Thaipusam Kavadī is conducted and what kind of meaning the participants attribute to their participation.... view less
Classification
Ethnology, Cultural Anthropology, Ethnosociology
Free Keywords
fear; piercing rituals; Hinduism; Mauritius; Thaipusam Kavadī
Document language
English
Publication Year
2018
Page/Pages
p. 123-140
Journal
International Quarterly for Asian Studies (IQAS), 49 (2018) 3-4
Issue topic
Fear and Fright in South Asian Religion and Society
ISSN
2566-6878
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed
Licence
Creative Commons - Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0